Wednesday, October 31, 2012

The Chinoiserie Front Door - You Choose

Black in High Gloss

Here are my four choices for paint colors for my Chinoiserie front door - high gloss black, coral, blue, and pink. I added the pink to the original three, I thought it was so pretty with the blue and white Chinese porcelain. Please leave a comment if you would like to vote.

24 comments:

Beth, I like the black door wih the brick you showed us on the photos of your house. It's sophisticated, and you can change your pots out front if you decide you want a change. I know in the Alexandria area that wreaths tend to be more traditional at Christmas, but the black would give you more room to use a wreath with wonderful golden or colorful chinoiserie ornaments or ribbon on it. Black would act as a good foil for that and for a nice brass door knocker.

I love the other doors, too, but if I get to vote, I vote for the black. I have a black door on our actual residence and love it. I have a colorful door on our Victorian vacation cottage, and it is harder to decorate at Christmas or other seasons. The color was approved by the historical society for a previous owner, and we just kept it. My own choice would be something more subdued outside. Inside is a different matter. ;-)

Coral with cream trim -- you really seem to love it and so I would say at least try it to see if it works. You might have to try a few shades to get it right, but then it can always be painted over if you don't like it... Even if you end up picking the black door in the end, at least you will not wonder "what if..." Nothing ventured, nothing gained. You might actually think of changing the trim color no matter what color door you choose... Btw, our old neighbor had the same color brick house with black shutters and a muted coralish shade on their front door (more contemporary home though) -- it always looked nice. I think you would have fun picking out hardware too -- a new knocker!

I am CRAZY for the black and agree with your first commenter. Sadly, the coral is my least fave but I actually like them all to varying degrees. Whatever choice you make I know it will be spectacular! But that high gloss black sends me over the moon. Good luck!

I'm all about color, color, color! The "idea" of hot pink sounds fun...but when it comes down to actually putting the paint brush on the door itself, I think i'd loose the guts. Specially on a fantastic door in Old Towne Alexandria. So, I'd say go with a deep rich color coral to try it out. See how it looks with the punch of color. If you're not impressed, then go to the black gloss. You can never go wrong with that classic look and at least you tried the color first. And you may LOVE the coral and never make it to the black. Plus, think of live greenery against the coral at Xmas time with plaid ribbon bows. Just beautiful and so Williamsburg. I say go for it!

Definitely not the blue door. It seems more appropriate for a home on the beach or in a coastal area. I like the high gloss black~ a classic, and the coral~so energetic and feminine. Just depends on your personality. I do so love the pink door,........however, not with red brick. Oh my........ am I helping at All??? Black or coral.

I'm on board with the high gloss black - it's gorgeous, it's classic, and it works with all manner of outdoor foliage no matter what the season. Second runner up would be the coral, which is a good choice if you want to try a splash of bold colour.

I do adore that tourquoise, yet I think with the color of your brickwork, the black would be ideal. Perhaps some shocking pink plants (a camellia?) with a ground over or other low-growing plant on the chinoiserie pots can bring some additional color to your doorway, and it would be easy to change if you grow tired of it.

I know this has been a labor of love, and my first choice is BLACK, high gloss. But, if you want your house to look like the fantastic decorator you are, you should go bold, possibly the magenta! ITS ONLY PAINT, right?just do it!NancyPowellbrowerhome.com

Coral! The black gloss looks like some very expensive to apply lacquer, eight or nine coats of it. Two coats of high gloss black won't recreate the look here. At least I don't think so. It is lovely tho, so maybe it's worth it....

I love the gloss black. So stunning with the red brick. I also like the gloss blue but I'm not sure its sophisticated enough for you. I'm not a fan of the coral with the red brick. I love the pink but again not sure with the red brick. I do agree to paint the trim a more creamy white.

I'm looking into the gloss paint so I can paint my front door black (with red brick and black trim).

About Me

I grew up in Europe and Lake Forest, Illinois. After graduating from The Ferry Hall School, Bryn Mawr College, and George Washington University Law School, I practiced law in Washington, D.C. Now I am devoting my time to three of my great passions - interior design, blogging, and Chinoiserie.

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